His Christmas Match (A Gentleman's Guide to Once Upon a Time) (34 page)

Demetrius
nodded.
 
“Felding insists that if and
when the information does become known, it won’t be because of something he did
or didn’t do.”

“That
blasted man,” she bit out and beat her fist in to the seat.
 

Her
brother lifted an eyebrow in humor.
 

* * *

Noah
fell back against the wall, his legs out before him on the bed, and brought the
bottle of brandy to his lips. The moment they arrived at the coaching inn he
arranged for rooms for everyone.
 
There
weren’t enough, but Penelope suggested sharing with Rosalind which suited him
fine. At least he knew neither his sister nor Rosalind would be alone though he
cautioned Penelope to keep the door locked.
 

When
asked, Noah refused Lady Jillian’s request that he dine with her and Broadridge
in the private room.
 
He already had his
fill of the two. They could celebrate the pending betrothal without him.

Rosalind
had said nothing upon their arrival while they waited to be shown to their
rooms. If anything, the color was high in her cheeks which he found more
reassuring than the paleness of her skin earlier in the day.
 
But instead of downcast eyes, she glared at
him.
 
At least she wasn’t hurting any
longer and on her way to hatred. If he didn’t find a way out of this situation,
he deserved that and more for kissing and holding her and for basically turning
his back on her as if she was of no consequence.
 

Noah
tipped the bottle back and took a deep drink.
 
He had asked to call on Rosalind when they returned home, and in less
than a day, Lady Jillian was practically announcing her betrothal to him.
 
He prayed that when he finally extracted
himself from this situation, Rosalind would forgive him though he feared she
wouldn’t.

His
head jerked up at the quiet knock at the door. “Bloody hell,” Noah muttered as
he pulled himself from the bed. He now only wore his pants and shirtsleeves and
glanced at his watch on the dresser as he padded across the room in bare feet.
It was nearly midnight.

Noah
jerked the door open expecting to find Lady Jillian on the other side because
nobody else would disturb him at this hour and barked out, “What?”

“Goodness,”
Rosalind squeaked and took a step back.

Noah
stilled. “Rosalind,” he whispered. “What are you doing here?”

She
took a step forward. “I need to speak with you.”

He
glanced down the hall in both directions. Nobody else was about. Noah grasped
her hand and drew her into the room.
 
He
knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t allow her to be seen standing in the hall
outside of his door at this hour nor should she be wandering about a public inn
wearing her nightclothes.
 
Anything could
happen to her.

“Is
something wrong with Penelope?”

“No,
she is asleep.”

“What
are you doing here?” he asked again trying to gain control of his
frustration.
 
Rosalind stood in her
nightdress and had her wrap drawn around her body.
 
He couldn’t have her, and he wasn’t free to
ask for her. Yet her she was in his room, and a bed was but a few feet away.

“I
know about the blackmail.”

He
anchored his fists on his hips.
 
Demetrius would pay for this.
 
He
ordered the man say nothing to her.
 
“I
will take care of it.”

“By
marrying Lady Jillian to keep her silent?” Rosalind cried. “You will be
unhappy, and I will not allow it.”

“It
is not your choice,” he ground out.

“Then
I will reveal my family’s sordid history before Lady Jillian has a chance.”

Noah
narrowed his eyes. “I will not allow you to ruin your family for me.”

Rosalind
brought a hand up to his cheek. “And I will not allow you to be miserable for
the rest of your life for me.”

Noah
closed his eyes and swallowed. Her hand was so soft, delicate, and warm against
his cheek. All he wanted to do was pull her against him, hold her tight, and
forget the ugliness that Lady Jillian brought to his life.
 
“I don’t plan on marrying her,” he finally
said quietly.
 
“I have been trying to
find a reason to make the break without the truth being learned.”

“Felding,
this will be taken care of by my family,” Rosalind said quietly.
 
“We anticipated this day may come, and we are
prepared.”

Noah
placed his hand over hers, and his eyes studied her deep blue depths.
 
He loved her. Why hadn’t he realized it
before?
 
“I will not see you ruined or
your family disgraced.”

Tears
sparkled in her eyes.
 
“It is not for you
to decide.”
 
She pulled away, but Noah
couldn’t let her go . . . not now. Not now that she was here with him.
 
All the tension from the day melted away the
moment she touched him.
 
He needed her
here, beside him, with him, forever.

The
pain in her eyes from this morning flashed in his mind. He had caused
that.
 
“I wanted to explain, but I
thought it better you hate me.
 
I am
sorry if I hurt you.”

She
smiled sadly.
 
“It has passed.”

He
wasn’t going to let her dismiss what he had done so simply.
 
Penelope had told him that she suspected
Rosalind had cried herself to sleep by the tears stains on her face when
Penelope retired.
 
“I can’t imagine what
you were thinking after the time we had spent together and my asking to visit
and then to hear Lady Jillian claim a betrothal.”

A
blush spread across her cheeks, and Rosalind looked away.
 
“It doesn’t matter.”

“It
does to me.
 
You must have thought I was
toying with your affections, and that wasn’t my intention.”

“If
only that was all,” she said quietly looking to the floor.

Noah
placed a finger beneath her chin forcing to her to look up at him.
 
“What did you believe my intentions were?”

A
tear slipped down her cheek.
 
“I
thought…well…because of what we shared, I thought you wished to…” She shook her
head. “It doesn’t matter now.”

“Tell
me,” Noah bit out.

“I
feared you only saw me in the same light as Broadridge.”

Noah
simply stared at her.
 
Did Rosalind think
so little of him that she thought he would wish to make her his mistress?
 
Noah pushed his fingers through his hair in
frustration tamping down his anger.
 

What
was she supposed to think? He had practically seduced her in the snow, never
made an offer, simply wished to call on her, and then Lady Jillian made a mess
of everything.

“I
will leave you now.”

“No!”
 
Noah grasped her arm and pulled her flush
against his body.
 
“I would never disrespect
you in that manner.
 
Yes, I desire you
and want you, but I would never consider...”

Rosalind
placed a finger against his lips and smiled gently up at him. “You do not have
to explain.”

“Yes,
I do, dammit.”

Her
eyes widened at his curse.

“I
apologize, but you and this situation have me beyond frustrated.”

Rosalind
caressed his cheek again. “It will all work out in the end. After Christmas, I
will return to the Sandlin home. If they will have me after the truth becomes
known, you will hunt for your bride in London.”

Noah
turned his face in and kissed her palm. “I won’t be hunting for a wife in
London.” He snaked his arms around her waist and brought her flush against his
body. “I’ve already found her.”

Twenty-Nine

Felding
crushed his mouth against hers.
 
It
wasn’t gentle but demanding. He took and devoured her mating his tongue with
hers.
 
She clutched his shoulders as her
knees grew weak, and her head spun.
 
This
was unlike any kiss he had given her before. This was pure possession as if he
were branding her as his.

When
he finally broke from her, Rosalind was panting as if she had run a race.
 

“Know
this,” he said his breath short as well, “you will be my wife.”

She
blinked up at him trying to clear the fog of desire from her mind.
 
Had she just heard him correctly?
 
“No.”

He
stilled. “What do you mean, no?”

“You
can’t marry me.”
 
What would people think
if he married the daughter of a whore?
 
At least her four other brothers knew who their father was, and they
were legitimate. She could not claim the same.
 
“I thought you understood who I am. A marquess does not marry someone of
my birth.”

“Nobody
will ever learn.”

She
jerked from his arms and walked away. “Eventually they will. If not from Lady
Jillian, then they will find out from me or someone else. In time, the truth
will become known.”

“I
don’t care,” he bit out.

Rosalind
wheeled on him. “I do!” she cried.
 
“Think of your family. Your children. If we marry, you need an heir. I
will not have my children shamed because of their mother.”

He
came forward and gently grasped her arms. “I don’t care. I will protect you and
them.”

She
had to make him understand. “I may have been only six when I was taken in by
Vicar Grant, but I still remember what it was like in St. Giles. Even there,
with the worst living conditions in London, I was called bastard, by-blow,
future whore.
 
People can be cruel, and I
will not have my children suffer the same fate and have to listen to their
mother called those names.”

“It
doesn’t have to be that way,” Noah said quietly.
 
“Would you rather live an empty life taking
care of someone else’s children? Would you deny yourself the chance of
happiness? Of love?”

Was
he saying he loved her?
 
Rosalind closed
her eyes. It was too painful to think that he might love her, and she could
never be his.
 
It was worse than when she
thought he might wish to make her his mistress.

“I
love you Rosalind Valentine,” he smiled. “Rosey, or whatever your name is.”

Tears
welled up in her eyes.
 
“I can’t,” she
cried. “It is unfair to you and to your family.”

“Look
me in the eye and tell me that you don’t want me,” he ordered. “Tell me that
you don’t want to spend your life with me.”

A
sob burst from her lips.
 
She couldn’t
because it would be a lie.
 
Why was he
making this so difficult?
 
He had no comprehension
of what his life could be like married to her and the vile and filth people
would spew at them.
 

“Don’t
you love me?” He asked quietly.

It
was her undoing, and Rosalind could barely see his handsome face with his kind
blue eyes watching her through her tears.
 
“But I do,” she choked out. “I love you so very much.”

The
moment the words left her mouth, Noah was once again crushing her to him, his
mouth pressed against hers.
 
His tongue
probed, and his hands caressed up and down her back.
 
He angled his head and deepened the kiss.
Heat ignited within, and Rosalind clung to him as if he was her anchor. Surely
she would drift away on a sea of sensations if she didn’t cleave to him.

His
mouth broke from hers, and Noah trailed kisses across her cheek and down her
neck as he scooped her into his arms.
 
Rosalind could do nothing as his lips trailed a blaze across her skin
heating her blood.
 
The room grew warm
and though she wore only a light nightdress and wrap, she was suffocating. Her
body wanted to be free of the confines to let the air cool her skin.

Her
body came to rest onto the softness of the mattress beneath her, and a pillow
cradled her head. Felding came down upon her. His lips once again returned to
hers as he braced himself above her, demanded, and gave no quarter. Her arms
went about his neck holding him close. She was not ready to break from him and
might not ever be prepared to do so.

He
fell to her side, and she turned toward him. His lips never left hers as his
hands roamed up her side and down to her hip and back again.